Virtual storage arrays consolidate branch data storage at data centers connected via wide area networks. Virtual storage arrays appear to storage clients as local data storage, but actually store data at the data center. Virtual storage arrays may prioritize storage client and prefetching requests for communication over the WAN and/or SAN based on their associated clients, servers, storage clients, and/or applications. A virtual storage array may transfer large data sets from a data center to a branch location while providing branch location users with immediate access to the data set stored at the data center. Virtual storage arrays may be migrated by disabling a virtual storage array interface at a first branch location and then configuring another branch virtual storage array interface at a second branch location to provide its storage clients with access to storage array data stored at the data center.
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1. A method of migrating a block storage device between network locations, the method comprising: configuring a first block storage device interface at a first branch network location to access a first logical storage in a block storage device at a data center network location, wherein the data center network location is connected with the first branch network location via a wide area network; providing block storage access to a first storage client at the first branch network location via the first block storage device interface by retrieving storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device via the wide area network; disabling the block storage access to the first storage client to prevent the first storage client from accessing the storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device; configuring a second block storage device interface at a second branch network location to access the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center network location, wherein the data center network location is connected with the second branch network location via the wide area network; providing block storage access to a second storage client at the second branch network location via the second block storage device interface by retrieving storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device via the wide area network; and wherein disabling the block storage access to the first storage client comprises: suspending a first virtual machine executing at the first branch network location using virtual machine data stored in the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center location, and restarting the suspended first virtual machine at the second branch network location using the virtual machine data stored in the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center location.
A method for migrating a block storage device between network locations involves configuring a first interface at a first branch to access storage at a data center via a WAN. A storage client at the first branch accesses data through this interface. The access is then disabled by suspending a virtual machine running at the first branch, where VM data resides in the data center storage, then restarting the VM at a second branch. A second interface is configured at the second branch, also connected to the data center via a WAN. A second storage client at the second branch accesses the same storage at the data center through the second branch interface.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein disabling the block storage access to the first storage client comprises: identifying updated storage blocks in a first storage block cache at the branch network location; transferring the updated storage blocks from the first storage block cache to the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center location via the wide area network; and storing the updated storage blocks in the first logical storage in the block storage device.
The method of migrating a block storage device further specifies that disabling access at the first branch involves identifying updated storage blocks in a local cache at the first branch, transferring those updated blocks via the WAN to the data center, and storing them in the central storage. This ensures data consistency during the migration before the virtual machine is suspended and restarted at the second branch.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein disabling the block storage access to the first storage client is in response to a schedule.
The method of migrating a block storage device specifies that disabling access to the first storage client at the first branch location happens based on a predetermined schedule. This allows for planned maintenance or migration windows, minimizing disruption to users by executing the switchover during off-peak hours.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising: establishing a network connection between the first block storage device interface at the first branch location and the second block storage device interface at the second branch location via the wide area network; configuring the first block storage device interface at a first branch network location to access the first logical storage through the second block storage device interface at the second network location; and providing block storage access to the first storage client at the first branch network location via the first block storage device interface by retrieving storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device with the second block storage device interface and communicating retrieved storage blocks from the second block storage device interface to the first block storage device interface.
The method of migrating a block storage device involves establishing a direct network connection between the first and second branch locations via the WAN. The first branch interface is configured to access the central storage indirectly through the second branch interface. The first storage client then accesses data by retrieving blocks using the second branch interface and relaying them to the first branch interface, effectively tunneling the storage access through the second branch.
5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of migrating a block storage device between network locations, the method comprising: configuring a first block storage device interface at a first branch network location to access a first logical storage in a block storage device at a data center network location, wherein the data center network location is connected with the first branch network location via a wide area network; providing block storage access to a first storage client at the first branch network location via the first block storage device interface by retrieving storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device via the wide area network; disabling the block storage access to the first storage client to prevent the first storage client from accessing the storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device; configuring a second block storage device interface at a second branch network location to access the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center network location, wherein the data center network location is connected with the second branch network location via the wide area network; providing block storage access to a second storage client at the second branch network location via the second block storage device interface by retrieving storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device via the wide area network; and wherein disabling the block storage access to the first storage client comprises: suspending a first virtual machine executing at the first branch network location using virtual machine data stored in the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center location, and restarting the suspended first virtual machine at the second branch network location using the virtual machine data stored in the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center location.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium contains instructions to migrate a block storage device between network locations. The process configures a first interface at a first branch to access storage in a data center via a WAN. A storage client at the first branch accesses this storage. Access is then disabled by suspending a virtual machine running at the first branch, where VM data resides in the data center, and restarting the VM at a second branch. A second interface is configured at the second branch, also connected to the data center via a WAN, allowing a second client there to access the same data.
6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein disabling the block storage access to the first storage client comprises: identifying updated storage blocks in a first storage block cache at the branch network location; transferring the updated storage blocks from the first storage block cache to the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center location via the wide area network; and storing the updated storage blocks in the first logical storage in the block storage device.
The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium migration method specifies that disabling access at the first branch involves identifying updated storage blocks in a local cache at the first branch, transferring those updated blocks via the WAN to the data center, and storing them in the central storage. This ensures data consistency before suspending and restarting the virtual machine at the second branch.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein disabling the block storage access to the first storage client is in response to a schedule.
The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium migration method specifies that disabling access to the first storage client at the first branch location happens based on a predetermined schedule. This facilitates planned maintenance or migration, minimizing user disruption.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , comprising: establishing a network connection between the first block storage device interface at the first branch location and the second block storage device interface at the second branch location via the wide area network; configuring the first block storage device interface at a first branch network location to access the first logical storage through the second block storage device interface at the second network location; and providing block storage access to the first storage client at the first branch network location via the first block storage device interface by retrieving storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device with the second block storage device interface and communicating retrieved storage blocks from the second block storage device interface to the first block storage device interface.
The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium migration method involves establishing a direct network connection between the first and second branch locations via the WAN. The first branch interface is configured to access the central storage indirectly through the second branch interface. The first storage client then accesses data by retrieving blocks using the second branch interface and relaying them to the first branch interface.
9. An apparatus, comprising: a processor; and a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform a method of migrating a block storage device between network locations, the method comprising: configuring a first block storage device interface at a first branch network location to access a first logical storage in a block storage device at a data center network location, wherein the data center network location is connected with the first branch network location via a wide area network; providing block storage access to a first storage client at the first branch network location via the first block storage device interface by retrieving storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device via the wide area network; disabling the block storage access to the first storage client to prevent the first storage client from accessing the storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device; configuring a second block storage device interface at a second branch network location to access the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center network location, wherein the data center network location is connected with the second branch network location via the wide area network; providing block storage access to a second storage client at the second branch network location via the second block storage device interface by retrieving storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device via the wide area network; and wherein disabling the block storage access to the first storage client comprises: suspending a first virtual machine executing at the first branch network location using virtual machine data stored in the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center location, and restarting the suspended first virtual machine at the second branch network location using the virtual machine data stored in the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center location.
An apparatus contains a processor and memory with instructions to migrate a block storage device between network locations. This involves configuring a first interface at a first branch to access storage in a data center via a WAN. A storage client at the first branch accesses this storage. Access is then disabled by suspending a virtual machine running at the first branch, where VM data resides in the data center, and restarting the VM at a second branch. A second interface is configured at the second branch, also connected to the data center via a WAN, allowing a second client there to access the same data.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein disabling the block storage access to the first storage client comprises: identifying updated storage blocks in a first storage block cache at the branch network location; transferring the updated storage blocks from the first storage block cache to the first logical storage in the block storage device at the data center location via the wide area network; and storing the updated storage blocks in the first logical storage in the block storage device.
The apparatus migration method specifies that disabling access at the first branch involves identifying updated storage blocks in a local cache at the first branch, transferring those updated blocks via the WAN to the data center, and storing them in the central storage. This ensures data consistency before suspending and restarting the virtual machine at the second branch.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein disabling the block storage access to the first storage client is in response to a schedule.
The apparatus migration method specifies that disabling access to the first storage client at the first branch location happens based on a predetermined schedule. This facilitates planned maintenance or migration, minimizing user disruption.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 , comprising: establishing a network connection between the first block storage device interface at the first branch location and the second block storage device interface at the second branch location via the wide area network; configuring the first block storage device interface at a first branch network location to access the first logical storage through the second block storage device interface at the second network location; and providing block storage access to the first storage client at the first branch network location via the first block storage device interface by retrieving storage blocks from the first logical storage in the block storage device with the second block storage device interface and communicating retrieved storage blocks from the second block storage device interface to the first block storage device interface.
The apparatus migration method involves establishing a direct network connection between the first and second branch locations via the WAN. The first branch interface is configured to access the central storage indirectly through the second branch interface. The first storage client then accesses data by retrieving blocks using the second branch interface and relaying them to the first branch interface.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
June 18, 2010
August 6, 2013
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